Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Rokita Catching Arrows

It was interesting to see an item in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette on the upcoming Democratic convention, where attention was given to incumbent Republican Secretary of State Todd Rokita, and to the political dynamics attached to winning Secretary of State:

The incumbent, Todd Rokita, should be vulnerable – he strongly supported an unnecessary voter ID law, and he refused to intervene in problems surroundingvoting machines until it became politically expedient to do so.

The secretary of state is Indiana’s top official overseeing elections and also has key duties in regulating corporations. And, to settle the question of which party controls the state House of Representatives in the event of a 50-50 tie, the party of the secretary of state would be given House majority status.

Not very flattering for Rokita. The Journal Gazette can round that out when they pick up my press release.

The 50-50 Indiana House tie possibility is coming up repeatedly, and as a watchdog effect should the Democrat win. Watchdog? It just means that partisan power shifts on party line votes. That's no watchdog. What would be a watchdog would be to have the Libertarian candidate win the Office. I'm not beholden to either Ds or Rs. Votes would only be predictable in one way- in favor of smaller government, every time.